Knitting machine needle



March 9, 1954 w ]N|GER 2,671,327

KNITTING MACHINE NEEDLE Filed Dec. 21, 1949 mus/woe WALTER u/v/em ATTOQNEK Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNlTED STATES atnszv RATENT OFFICE MACHINE NEEDLE Application December 21, 1949, Serial No. 134,257

Claims priority, application Switzerland December 28, 19.48

3 Giaims. f

The present invention relates to a needle assembly for knitting machines, particularly manually operated knitting machines.

Usually about 160 needles are juxtapositioned in such machines. The needle assemblies have a part having an end portion forming a hook and a part movable relative to the first part and adapted to cooperate with said hook to form an eye. To facilitate knitting and use of yarns of great diameter, this eye should be as large as possible and it should have smooth surfaces to prevent friction and catching of the yarn.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a knitting needle assembly having a hooked member and a member for closing the hook, i. e.

for forming an eye, in which the formed eye is considerably larger than in conventional assemblies and in which both members form an uninterrupted, smooth and rounded surface, reducing friction between the members and the yarn to a minimum.

Needle assemblies for knitting devices are known, substantially constituted of a hook which is slidably guided in a mounting and in a sleeve connected to the latter, the closing of these needle assemblies being efiected by drawing the hook backwards in its mounting and toward the sleeve until the tip of the hook enters a slit provided in the sleeve. These known needle assemblies have the disadvantage that, owing to the mobility of the needle with respect to the sleeve and the mounting. the outside surfaces of the sleeve and of the mounting are not flush, so that there is an edge the size of which is equal to that of the material of the sleeve; the yarn is often caught at this edge, giving rise to much trouble.

The primary object of this present invention is to overcome this disadvantage of conventional needle assemblies for knitting devices. To this end, I provide a hook rigidly connected to a holder and a closing pin slidably guided in the holder, the closing pin and the hook forming a closed eye when the closing pin is in its advanced position.

Another object of the invention is to permit the tip of the hook to enter the oppositely facing end of the closing pin, when the closing pin occupies its advanced position.

A further object of the invention is to provide the holder with a slit sleeve and to slidably guide the closing pin in the so formed slit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the end of the closing pin, located away from the hook tip, with an actuation plate, a spring being provided bearing against this plate and the mounting.

2 Other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter as the description of the invention proceeds, the novel features, combinations and construction being more particularly pointed out in the specification and the claims hereunto appended.

In the annexed drawings which show, by way of examples, two embodiments of the needle assembly according to the invention:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of the first embodiment of the needle assembly, the parts occupying the open relative position,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same embodiment, the parts, however, being in closed position and the end of the closing pin racing the hook being shown in longitudinal section, and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the second embodiment of the needle assembly, the parts being shown in a semi-open position.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings is substantially constituted of a holder I to which a sleeve 2 is rigidly connected; these two portions may be made in one piece. The holder I has a bore 3 extending parallel to its longitudinal axis, whilst the sleeve 2 has a slit l extending along the axis of the bore 3. A closing pin 5 is slidably guided in the said bore 3 and slit 4 and means, not shown, may be provided preventing pin 5- from sliding out to the left, in Fig. 1. This closing pin carries an actuation plate 6 at its rear end. The portion of the closing pin extending between the holder I and the plate 6 is surrounded by a coiled spring 1 bearing against the holder and the plate. A blind hole 9 is provided at the other end of the closing pin 5. A hook 10 has its shank partly located in a recess of the sleeve 2 to which it is fixed by soldering. The outside of the hook shank and that of the sleeve are flush with each other. The tip [2 of the bent-over hook portion H is cone-shaped. The radius of the bend and the position of cone l2 are such that when the closing pin is shifted forwardly the cone [2 enters the blind hole 9 of the closing pin 5.

Fig. 1 shows the needle assembly in its open working position, the closing pin 5 being in its advanced position. Spring 7 tends to hold the parts in this position. If the closing pin 5 is moved forwardly against the action of the spring 7, the wall of the blind hole 9 of the closing pin 5 surrounds the cone tip [2 of the hook portion ll and the pin 5 forms with the hook ill a closed eye. This relative position of the parts is shown in Fig. 2 and means (not represented) may be provided to hold the parts in this position.

The fact that the hook I0 is fixed to its holder and-is engaged by a closing pin in a certain operating position, provides an uninterrupter outside surface of the device.

Fig. 3 shows the second embodiment in which a special sleeve part 2 is omitted and the holder I is lengthened accordingly and fitted with the hook 10 as was the sleeve 2 of the first embodiment. In this second embodiment the closing pin 5 is guided in a bore 3 of the holder only. The bottom side of the hook I6 is flush with the bottom side of the holder I.

While I have described and illustrated two embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to unnecessarily limit the scope of this invention, but reserve the right to make such modifications and rearrangements of the several parts as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A knitting machine needle assembly comprising a holder, a first rod of circular cross-section extending from said holder and having a return-bent end portion forming a hook, and a second rod of circular cross-section axially slidable in said holder and having an end adapted to axially abut against the return-bent end of said first rod, the aforementioned ends of both rods having the same diameter and forming an uninterrupted cylindrical surface when in abutting position.

2. A knitting machine needle assembly according to claim 1, said return-bent end portion of the first rod having a pointed end portion and the end of the second rod having an axial cavity adapted to receive said pointed end portion, the

outside diameter of the portion of said first rod adjacent to said pointed end portion and not received in said cavity being the same as the outside diameter of the end of the first rod and both rods forming an uninterrupted cylindrical surface when said pointed end portion is received in said cavity.

3. A knitting machine needle assembly comprising a holder, a first rod extending from said holder and having a return-bent end portion forming a hook, and a second rod axially slidable in said holder and having an end adapted to axially abut against the return-bent end of said first rod, both rods being cylindrical and having the same diameter and the aforementioned ends of both rods forming an uninterrupted cylindrical surface when in abutting position, the first rod having a straight portion between the holder and the return-bent portion, and the second rod being straight and parallel to the straightportion of the first rod.

WALTER LINIGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 52,256 Armour Jan. 30, 1866 677,832 Vickham July 2, 1901 1,475,182 Hanes Nov. 27, 1923 1,790,611 Vitoux Jan. 27, 1931 2,179,372 Eichholz Nov. 7, 1939 2,237,480 Everett Apr. 8, 1941 2,373,533 Bolden Apr. 10, 1947 

